Touch but don’t touch? How I turned my office into an amusement park!

Have you ever played “buzz wire”? That game that seems easy, where you have to move a loop along a wire that twists and turns without touching it or you get a buzz sound that stole your soul (look at Mr. Bean)? That’s the right one. It sounds easy, right? But it’s not, my friend!

Well, everyone, hold on tight, because today we’re going to talk about a journey I went on last year, when I made and designed a buzz wire game that literally got my whole office at Anduin buzzing!

Crafting the Electric Maze – How the Idea Started

Buzz wire games are a lot of fun, aren’t they? Moving the loop around the wire is thrilling, and when you touch the wire, you get a buzz sound right away. Well, I wanted to bring this kind of excitement to my workspace at Anduin Transaction at the time. The idea was simple: make people happy, make them laugh, and, well, spark electricity!

Navigating the Crooked Wires – How I Built It

Making a buzz wire game isn’t exactly rocket science. But trust me, it does require some patience and basic technical skills. Who am I to try to scare you away? I did tell you to make a radio, after all, didn’t I? Now, let’s get our hands dirty, and I promise you that the end result will be exciting.

To start, you’ll need a few things:

1. A long piece of wire with as many twists and turns as possible.
2. A looped wire – this will be your magic wand!
3. A buzzer circuit – Which makes sound when failed to keep everyone on their toes! Diagram can be found below
4. A battery – the energy source of our electrical game.
5. A bit of soldering equipment – time to showcase those skills again!

Remember, safety first, so make sure you’ve got your face mask and goggles on (not Google), Pfff!

Circuit board diagram from here:

Now, the building process can be a bit tricky if you’re doing it for the first time. So just like I guided you through your DIY radio project, I’m here to help you navigate this one.

Step-by-Step Guide:

Step 1: Start by twisting and turning the long wire into a shape that is both creative and challenging. Make sure the shape is balanced and can stand on its own. If not, you can screw it to a wooden board to keep it from falling over.  

Step 2: Use your soldering equipment to connect one end of the long wire to one of the buzzer’s unit board. Check to see if the connection is safe.

Step 3: Use your soldering tools to connect the looped wire to the battery.

Step 4: Now it’s time to test your circuit. Connect the end of the wire that is not in a loop to the other end of the longer wire. If the buzzer goes off, you know the circuit is working. If not, make sure your connections are good and try again.

Step 5: Now, put the long wire and the wire with a loop on separate boards made of wood. Make sure they are well attached and that the two wires can’t accidentally touch each other.

Step 6: Double-check your connections one more time, and then start playing! The goal is to move the wire with the loop along the straight wire without touching it. When the looped wire touches the long wire, the circuit is complete, and the buzzer goes off to let the player know that he or she has lost.

Unleashing the Electric Fun – The Office Reaction

Now comes the most exciting part: letting the fun out into the world. As the buzz wire game got going, so did the office. It was just like a little carnival. When someone touched the wire, there was a lot of excitement, cheering, and jumping and laughing, which was great.

The game was the best part of our lunch breaks, and everyone was excited to take on the challenge. It turned into a friendly competition between coworkers, a way to get to know new people, and the best way to relieve stress.

Sparkling Challenges – Navigating the Twists and Turns

The way we made this buzz wire game was full of twists and turns, just like the wire we used. There were challenges, mistakes, and a few accidental shocks (I still remember X and Mr.C jumping like cats!). But, hey, what’s a DIY project without a few fun challenges?

The Spark Lives On

To say that the buzz wire game was popular is something of an understatement because it was so successful. It made everyone in our office laugh and brought us closer together. And to think, it all started with a simple do-it-yourself project!

Like making your own radio, making your own buzz wire game can be fun and teach you something. It teaches you to be patient, to be precise, and to see the magic in electricity.

People, grab your tools and use this fun, electric DIY to light up your own rooms. And if you get stuck or just want to tell me about your exciting journey, leave me a comment. I’m here to listen and help.

So, are you ready to find your way around the winding wire? Sparks and buzzes should fly!

Here is a picture shows our dogs playing tug-of-war. :)) Just for fun !!